Partington doubts Bournemouth can match 2024 defence
Former Bournemouth defender Joe Partington doubts the club’s new signings can match the impact of last season’s backline. Milos Kerkez, Dean Huijsen, and Illia Zabarnyi were key to Bournemouth’s ninth-place finish in the Premier League but have now moved to Liverpool, Real Madrid, and Paris Saint-Germain for big fees.
Partington said the Cherries need at least two new central defenders who can perform at the same high level as Zabarnyi and Huijsen. Without that, he believes chasing European qualification this season will be tough. Speaking on the Cherries: Unpicked podcast, he admitted the current back four has quality but lacks the proven strength of last season’s defence.
While he praised the club for securing strong transfer fees, he warned that replacing three vital players would be a major challenge. Bournemouth’s recruitment team has a track record of finding talented but lesser-known players who become top performers.
Partington said losing three key defenders is 'good business' financially, but the real test will be whether the replacements can help the team match or improve on last year’s results.
